The best restaurants in Val Thorens, including affordable suggestions and
options on the mountain .

BudgetJohn's American Restaurant (malcomswe.com/Johns/American/American.html) is a Danish-owned Tex-Mex that has been around for a couple of years. It's one of the most popular dining spots in Val Thorens with a menu that includes a dozen different home-made burgers, five types of fajita, and massive steaks.

Mid-rangeLa Maison Blanche (+33 479 00 00 48) used to be Le Galoubet and hadn't been updated in over 30 years. A couple of years ago it received a makeover and changed its name, and is now a friendly brasserie on three floors, offering simple but good food in a down-to-earth atmosphere.

ExpensiveJean Sulpice (jeansulpice.com/restaurant-val-thorens) is run by the charismatic chef of the same name and has two Michelin stars and four Gault-Millau toques. The restaurant is in the resort on the edge of the piste so as well as an evening venue is also one of the top lunch spots in the area. The cuisine is delectably creative and experimental and from five menus including one devoted to ceps de la Vallee de Belleville (local mushroons).

On the mountain

BudgetLes Chalets du Thorens self-service (leschaletsduthorens.com/english/), at the bottom of La Moraine chair, is where to go for a large buffet of fresh pasta, a variety of starters and daily specials. There's a table-service restaurant in the same building as well as a bar, Bar 360, which has DJs and live music and eight apartments.

Mid-range Off the beaten path, between Val Thorens and Les Menuires, Chez Pépé Nicolas (chezpepenicolas.com) can only be reached on snowshoes, by snowmobile or off piste. It’s well worth the effort, though. The simple dishes created by chef Jean-Alain Passard are made using local ingredients and the hut interior is cosy with sheepskin rugs and a roaring fire. The resident St Bernard greets guests on arrival.

Expensive The lovely Le Chalet de la Marine (chaletmarine.com) is how everyone hopes a mountain refuge will be (but all too often isn't). It's decorated with oodles of wood and has a crackling log fire, furry rugs and delicious local cuisine. It's set on the Dalles slope up at 2,500m and has a separate yurt that can be hired for private parties. The menu is traditional meat and fish dishes with a twist, including beef tail cottage pie with marrow, creamy mashed potatoes – not forgetting the vast pudding trolley.